Using the Map Editor

Contents

Introduction

The Carmen Map Editor allows for manually modifying the maps created with Vasco, or draw entirely new maps. It will enable you to add or remove place names or mark areas as off limits to the robot in addition to modifying the objects, walls, and free space within the map.

Using the map editor is similar to using many standard graphics and drawing programs, except that the colors represent probabilities that a particular point is occupied. White implies low probability of ocupation, as it shifts through grey to black, it implies greater probability of a grid cell being occupied. Blue areas are unknown; there is no data available to assign a probability. Red areas represent "off limits" areas, where the robot should not go, whether or not it *can* go there. (This can be very important for keeping the robot away from stairwells and other dangers it cannot detect.)

(x, y, theta, std_x, std_y, std_theta)
The "std" parameters are for the standard deviation in
a robot start position.

Remember: The x/y/std_x/std_y co-ordinates are in METRES,
not ingrid cells, and theta is in DEGREES. It will print out the
conversion to radians automatically for you. To get the x and y
coordinates you want, use map_editor: the coordinates of the mouse
pointer are displayed in the upper right, under the "Help" menu.

Delete Placename will remove a placename from the map. Simply click on the placename dot after selecting Delete Placename from the menu.
View Menu

Show Placenames selects whether or not to show placenames on the display.

Show Offlimits selects whether or not to show off limits areas on the display.

Brush draws squares (of width and height equal to "brush size" setting) of probability equal to the "ink" setting onto the map. The brush is activated by clicking the left mouse button and dragging the cursor across the screen.

Rectangle draws a rectangle of probability "ink", filled or not, with edgesof width equal to the "line size" setting onto the map. The regtangle is activated by clicking the left mouse button, dragging the cursor across the screen, and releasing the button.

Line draws a line of probability "ink" onto the map with a thickness of approximately the "line size" setting. The line is activated by clicking the left mouse button, dragging the cursor across the screen, and releasing the button.

Fill changes a contiguous area of the same probability to have the probability of the "ink" setting. The fill tool is activated by clicking the left mouse button on any location in the area you want to fill.

Fuzzy Fill is just like fill, except that it allows for variations in the probabilities in the region to be filled. Instead of all filled cells having the same probability, they can vary by plus or minus the "fuzziness" setting.

Eye Dropper changes the current "ink" setting to the probability of the grid cell clicked upon with the left mouse button.

Zoom allows you to zoom in or out on the map display. Zoom in by clicking the left mouse button on the center of the area you want to look at, or zoom out by clicking the right mouse button on the desired center point.

Fuzziness: The half-range of points effected by "Fuzzy Fill." For example, if you have fuzziness set to 0.100 and you attempt to Fuzzy Fill a region by clicking on a point whose ocupation probability is 0.300, then all contiguous points whose porobability is between 0.200 and 0.400 will be changed to the value of "Ink."

Grid Cell: The smallest possible unit in the map.

Probability: The likelihood that a grid cell is occupied. In the map editor, "ink" is often substituted for "probability."